Spray cover

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a spray cover or hatch cover for boats, e.g., kayaks ( 10 ), comprising a pull element, which is provided on one edge of the cover ( 20 ) and which extends in a peripheral direction, for detachably fixing the cover to a collar (the coaming) ( 14 ) surrounding the opening to be covered and protruding away from the body of the kayak. The pull element is a tightening strap which cannot be directly expanded by hand or which can only be thus expanded with difficulty. At least one manually operable tightening element ( 35 ) is inserted therein.

The invention relates to a spray cover or hatch cover for boats,particularly kayaks based on the overall concept of Patent Claim 1.

Kayaks possess a mainly closed body with a seat opening on its upperside from which the upper body of a kayaker seated in the kayak extendsupward. So-called spray covers serve to seal the opening againstintruding water. These are made of a flat piece of waterproof, flexiblematerial, as a rule neoprene with embedded expanding fabric, butpossibly PVC or nylon. The spray covet possesses a first section, theso-called “chimney”, that surrounds the upper body of kayaker like agarment, and a second, ring-formed projecting section whose outer edgeis attached-to the boat body to form a seal after the kayaker hasentered the kayak. A so-called “coaming” is provided for attachment tothe boat, which is a collar with a tapering cross-section projectingupward surrounding the opening to be sealed. It has a diameter thatgradually increases upward, thus forming an outer surrounding channel.

Conventional spray covers possess a circumferential pull element ofelastic material at their edge that is expanded by hand and placed intothe coaming channel. The elastic pull element, e.g., a rubber cord, maybe stitched to the edge of the spray cover or inserted into a hollowseam. A shaped or attached shaped piece is often involved that isspecially shaped to improve the seal to the outer contour of thecoaming.

Since the pull element lies in the channel of the coaming and is undertension, the spray cover cannot be removed from the coaming withoutother steps. The strength of the connection, and thus the strength ofthe seal against water, depends on the elastic tension created bystretching the spray cover by hand. This tension, of course, is limited.In particular, women cannot always exert the force required to mount thespray cover onto the coaming. It therefore often occurs thatconventional spray covers are unintentionally released in extremesituations in which they receive heavy water loading from-high-pressuresplashing or wave pressure in white-water situations, leaving the boatno longer protected against intruding water.

Spray covers for other types of boats suffer from the same problem, ifnot to such a severe degree. One example is a canoe, in which onekneels, and another is a so-called hatch cover to cover luggage or aseat opening in a boat. Hatch covers, of course, have no chimney, butrather are complete covers. Nevertheless, they are attached to thecoaming surrounding the luggage opening in the same fashion as for spraycovers. The invention has the objective of further developing existingspray covers or hatch covers so that security against involuntaryrelease from the coaming is greatly increased without requiringexcessive force to attach it, or totally preventing weaker persons fromattaching it.

This objective is achieved by the invention by means of the spray coveror hatch cover described in Patent Claim 1, whereby advantageousembodiments derive from the Dependent Claims.

In the spray cover based on the invention, the pull element is anelastic band that practically cannot be expanded by hand. Thepre-tension required to secure the cover to the coaming and to seal thecover to the coaming is applied using at least one manually operabletightening device that is inserted into the tightening strap. Thetightening device is so shaped that it is shortened by manual actuation,usually via a lever, thus creating the tension in the tightening strap.Even a weaker person may mount the spray cover or hatch cover accordingto the invention to the coaming using the tightening device. Thetightening strap, when the tightening device is open, is inserted intothe coaming channel, and the tightening device is then closed. Thissecuring will withstand larger external loads since the tightening strapis stretched only after it is inserted into the coaming channel, andsince the spray cover or hatch cover is thus secured by an approximateform fit to the coaming.

The degree or measure by which the tightening strap cannot be expandedby hand, or only with great difficulty, must be understood in connectionwith this mode of function: It must be so difficult to expand thatexternal forces acting on the cover are not adequate to cause sufficientexpansion to allow the tightening strap to slip from the coamingchannel. Suitable tightening straps preferably are made of plastic,e.g., polypropylene.

Two tightening devices are preferably inserted into the tighteningstrap. Depending on the tightening device design and the depth of thecoaming channel, it is possible that one tightening device is notadequate to lengthen the tightening strap adequately so that it may beconveniently stretched over the upper edge of the coaming and placedinto the channel in the coaming. Also, two tightening devices provide asafety function, particularly when they are positioned per Claim 3 alongthe travel direction of the boat, one each at the front and rear ends ofthe cover. Kayaks suffer so-called jam accidents in which the boat istrapped under an obstacle such as a rock either by its keel or its deck.The rescuer who tries to extract the kayaker in such a situation must beable to release the spray cover, and thus requires access to at leastone tightening device, which is almost always the case in the embodimentbased on Claim 3. Of course, each individual tightening device must beso adjusted for this situation that the spray cover is completely freeof the coaming with one open tightening device, thus allowing itsremoval.

As a tightening device, it is possible to use the type of tensioneremployed to secure the top of a barrel. The tensioner possesses anactuation lever that may be pivoted from its open position over a campoint into the secured position, shortening the sealing band when thelever is closed. The resultant lever action thus provides high tensionin the tightening strap, and the cam-function design ensures that theactuation lever remains securely in its closed position.

Since the tensioning distance of a tensioner is limited, one preferablyincludes at least one adjuster to pre-tension the tightening strap bychanging its length when using them. Such an adjustment fitting allowsexact matching of the tightening strap to various coamingcircumferences.

The adjusting device may also include a manually operable release forspontaneous lengthening or separation of the tightening strap. Insteadof the tensioner, this release device is then actuated during anemergency of the above-mentioned type. The release may be so configuredthat a lower amount of force is required than for the tensioner. Forexample, the adjusting device may be a self-affixing element at which anend of the tightening strap projects, and a brief tug on the extendedend releases the clamp. Two adjusting devices are preferably providedfor emergency release for the same reason, and in the sameconfiguration, as was described previously with reference to thetensioners.

A very advantageous alternative to the tensioner is a so-called pumpclasp (or clamp) used as a tightening device. Such pump clasp tensionersare also known. They are configured to work with a ratchet band ortoothed belt that is drawn into the pump clasp step-by-step by repeatedactuation of the lever. This allows the length of the tightening strap,with one end in the ratchet band and the other at the actual adjustmentelement, to be altered over a wide range and finally to be shortened tothe extent that the necessary tension results. Special adjusting devicesare thus not required in connection with pump clasp tensioners.

Pump clasp tensioners have the further advantage that they may becompletely opened very easily and spontaneously, either by means of arelease button, or by placing the tensioning lever into a specialrelease setting. Thus, one component may very advantageously provide thethree functions of pre-tensioning, tensioning, and spontaneous, completerelease of the tightening strap.

Pump clasp tensioners suitable for use with the invention are provided,for example, by GUDO AG, 8618 Oetwil, Switzerland under the designationsMini N 4, Part Order Number 1663, or Mega K 4, Part Order Number 1751.

Inclusion of two pump clasp tensioners in the tightening strap isrecommended for the above-mentioned safety reasons even when pump clasptensioners are used as tightening devices. One must achieve aconfiguration in which the two pump clasp tensioners are positioned tothe sides of the boat when the spray cover is in the use position, andthus may be easily actuated by the seated kayaker since, in contrast tothe tensioner, simple actuation of the lever is necessary here totighten the tightening strap.

If a boat capsizes, the kayaker must be able to free him/herselfspontaneously with no problem even when panicked, which requires releaseof the spray cover. With conventional spray covers, this occurs simplyin that the kayaker sitting in the boat presses with his legs againstthe spray cover, thus pulling the elastic pull element from the coaming.Configuration of the spray cover according to the invention per Claim 9allows the same semi-reflexive release of the spray cover in that thekayaker presses his/her knees indirectly against the release mechanismof at least one tightening device and/or adjusting device by means ofthe release mechanism provided on the upper side of the spray cover. Therelease device per Claim 10 preferably includes a release band thatstretches across the thigh or knee of the person sitting under spraycover that reproduces the upward movement of the legs, and per Claim 11,transfers it by means of at least-one pull strap to the releasemechanism so that the fastener opens and releases the tightening strap.

In order to simplify the initial mounting of the spray cover or hatchcover to the coaming, an additional elastic band that extendscircumferentially along the edge of the cover and that may be stretchedby hand may be provided that then is inserted into the channel in thecoaming before the tightening strap is tightened using the tighteningdevice or tightening devices. In contrast to the state of the art, thiselastic band has practically no securing function during cover use. Itmerely simplifies the prior attachment of the cover to the coaming aslong as the tightening strap is still loose. The elastic band may be asimple rubber cord, for example, such as are used for elastic cargostraps. The rubber cord is preferably stitched to the edge of the cover.The seam used for this may also be used to form the hollow channel atthe edge of the cover in which the tightening strap is held.Alternatively, the rubber cord or the tightening strap may be formed asa tube within which another band is placed. It may be adequate for therubber cord not to extend along the entire length of the coaming, butrather only over a shorter portion of the path, with its ends secured tothe adjacent tightening strap. This causes the tightening strap to beshortened by the elastic band between the securing points, and gives itlight pre-tension adequate to secure the spray cover until it isshortened and stretched within the channel by the tightening device, andthis shortening disappears because of the-rubber cord.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the tightening strap may beheld within a series of tubes or rings at the edge of the cover.

In use position of the spray cover, one or the other tightening devicefor the tightening strap lies within the channel in the coaming. If itis particularly deep, it may simplify operation to assign a formed pieceto each tightening device per Claim 18 that lies between the tighteningdevice and coaming that determines a specific position for thetightening device relative to the coaming in which the tightening deviceis easy to operate and/or in which the pull of the above-mentionedrelease device is particularly easily accessible. These shaped piecesmay be of foamed plastic, for example. Separate formed pieces allow theuse of conventional tightening devices. Alternatively, the tighteningdevices may also have a shape that is matched to the contour of thecoaming.

In the following, the invention is described in greater advantageousdetail by the use of schematically represented embodiments, which show:

FIG. 1 a kayak with spray cover based on the invention in oblique view;

FIG. 2 a top view of the spray cover;

FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view through the edge of the spray cover;

FIG. 4 a cross-sectional view through the coaming of the kayak withspray cover in position;

FIG. 5 a top view of a section of the spray cover with tensioner andadjusting device;

FIG. 6 a cross-sectional view along the projection 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 a top view of a section of another spray cover with ratchetingstrap and pump clasp;

FIG. 8 details of the pump clasp from FIG. 7 in a simplified, explodedview.

FIG. 1 shows a kayak 10, a boat body 11 with a seat opening 12 for thekayaker. The seat opening 12 is surrounded by a heightened collar of onepiece with the boat body (the so-called coaming 14); see FIG. 4. Thecoaming 14 decreases in diameter upward from the boat body forming anexterior channel in the coaming.

A spray cover 20 of neoprene with embedded fabric to exclude intrudingwater covers the seat opening 12. The spray cover 20 includes twosections, namely the so-called chimney 28 and a separate ring section.The chimney 28 covers the kayaker's upper body like a garment, and isheld as close as possible to the upper-body by means of a cord 29. Thering section extends laterally from the lower end of the chimney, andcovers the hatch area of the seat opening between the kayaker's body andthe coaming 14.

When the kayaker has seated him/herself in the kayak 10 with the spraycover in position, the ring section of the spray cover 20 is attached tothe coaming to form a seal. For this purpose, the edge of the spraycover 20 includes a circumferential, hollow tubular cavity formed byfolding the spray cover material and secured by a seam 31. The seam 31simultaneously contains a rubber cord 32 extending circumferentiallythat is relatively easy to stretch by hand. A flat, practicallynon-expandable tightening strap 33 of polypropylene is inserted into thehollow cavity 30.

At the bow end of the spray cover 20, a tensioner 35 is inserted intothe tightening strap 33, for which purpose the tightening strap extendsout of the hollow cavity 30 there. The tensioner 35 possesses anactuation lever 36 that may be pivoted out of an opening position (notshown) in which the actuation lever 36 stands out from the body of thetensioner into the locked position shown in FIG. 5, whereby the campoint has been exceeded. In its opening position, the two ends of thetightening strap at the tensioner are far apart, but this separation isreduced by pivoting the actuation lever into the secured position,whereby the lever action allows tension to be applied to the tighteningstrap.

A formed piece 40 of plastic foam is inserted between the tensioner 35and the coaming 14 whose one side is matched to the cross-section of thecoaming and whose other side is matched to the shape of the tensioner35, thus locating the tensioner 35 at a position somewhat outside thechannel 16 in the coaming 14, see FIG. 6. Also, the shaped body 40possesses pointed ends so that the pull strap undergoes a gradualtransition to the tensioner 35 positioned at the exterior.

An adjusting device 50 is inserted into the tightening strap 33 directlyadjacent to the tensioner 35, by means of which the length of thetightening strap may be altered as long as it is not under tension. Thisis a self-adhering fitting of conventional design whose holding forceincreases as the tension in the tightening strap increases. Thetightening strap may be passed once or several times through the fittingto guard against exceeding the highest-possible holding force of theadjusting device in order to reduce the tensile force on the fittingbefore it is held by the adjusting device. The tightening strap clampedwithin the fitting has its short end extending away from the fitting. Bypulling obliquely on this end, the clamping force may be completelyremoved, immediately releasing the tightening strap completely.

Another identically-designed self-adhering adjusting device 51 isinserted into the tightening strap 33 in the stern end of the spraycover.

In the front area where the kayaker's legs are located under the spraycover 20, a release band is provided on the spray cover. The releaseband consists of two sections 61 and 62 that meet in the center at anobtuse angle. Both ends of the release band are attached to the spraycover 20 so that it extends approximately obliquely to the direction oftravel, with the acute angle facing forward and lying on the spray coverwithout slack. The one section 61 of the release band is lengthened awayfrom the center, forming a pull strap 63 whose loose end is attached tothe actuation lever 36 of the tensioner 35.

To attach the spray cover to the coaming, first the rubber cord 32 isstretched slightly by hand and inserted into the channel in the coaming16. For this, the tensioner 35 is open. Next, by actuating the actuationlever 36, the tensioner 35 is closed, thus placing tension on thetightening strap 33 within the hollow cavity 30. In case the tensionercannot be closed, or if there is slack in the pull strap, the length ofthe tightening strap 33 may be altered appropriately at the adjustingdevice 51. The tightening strap under tension because of the closedtensioner lies within the channel in the coaming 16 along with therubber cord and holds the spray cover practically to a formed fit, sothat even high waves cannot cause the spray cover to be pulled from thecoaming.

In an emergency, rescuers can release the spray cover immediately andwithout difficulty by pulling the extended end of the tightening strapeither at the adjusting device 50 or, if it is not accessible, at therear adjusting device 51, thus completely releasing the tightening strapand thereby the spray cover.

The kayaker him/herself can release the spray cover immediately even ina panic situation by raising the release band with his/her knees,thereby causing the actuation lever 36 of the tensioner 35 to pivot intothe open position, and thus causing the tightening strap to loosen,allowing the spray cover to be pulled upward off the coaming.

Another embodiment of the spray cover according to the inventiondistinguishes itself from the above in that the two tensioners 35 arereplaced by two pump clamp tensioners, each of which possesses aratcheting strap 45 operating with it, but not with special adjustingdevices 50, 51. Also, the two clamp tensioners are positioned not at thebow and stern ends of the spray cover, but rather at the sides, wherethe kayaker can easily reach and operate them. In a view similar to FIG.5, FIG. 7 shows the position of the first pump clasp 46. The second pumpclasp is not shown, but is shaped the same as the pump clasp 46, and ispositioned on the spray cover to be mirror-reflected.

Per FIG. 7, one end (the left end in FIG. 7) of the tightening strap 33passing along the edge of the spray cover but separated at the pumpclasp 46 is connected to a conventional ratcheting strap 45 that extendsas an extension of the tightening strap 33. The other end of thetightening strap 33 is firmly affixed to the pump clasp 46. It possessesa body with a U-shaped cross-section through which the ratcheting strap45 extends. The configuration of ratcheting strap 45 and pump clasp 46is located, like the tensioner 35 of the first embodiment example,within the channel 16 in the coaming 14, but projects out of the channel16 from between the inserted shaped bodies 40 far enough that thekayaker can actuate the tensioning lever of the pump clasp 46.

When the spray cover is in opened configuration, the free end of theratcheting strap 45 in the vicinity of the clasp body. The length of theratcheting strap 45 is so selected that the spray cover with itstightening strap 33 may be easily inserted into the channel 16 in thecoaming 14. Next, the user again actuates the tensioning lever 41. Witheach pivoting of the clasp body 42, the tightening strap 45 is drawn bythe tensioning lever 41 further into the pump clasp 46 by one ratchetwidth. A blocking wedge 43 mounted within the clasp body 42 (see FIG. 8)engages with the ratchet teeth of the ratcheting strap 45, preventingits slippage. This process is continued until the tightening strap 33 istaut against the coaming 14, and is under such tension that the spraycover cannot be removed from the coaming.

An additional release lever 44 is mounted within the clasp body 42 sothat it may pivot (see FIG. 8) that projects outward with an extensionthrough a corresponding recess in the tensioning lever 41 and engages byits nose with the blocking wedge 43 so that the blocking wedge 43 israised out of engagement with the ratchet teeth of the ratcheting strap45 by pressure on the actuation extension. This releases the ratchetingstrap 45 from the pump clasp 46, and may slide out of it to the extentthat the resulting slack of the tightening strap 33 is adequate to allowremoval of the spray cover from the coaming. The user or a rescuer maythus free the spray cover from the kayak without delay by actuation ofthe release lever 44.

1. Spray In a spray or hatch cover for boats, e.g., kayaks, having apull element that is a circumferential elastic band provided at the edgeof the cover for simple release of the cover at the collar (coaming)projecting above the boat body and surrounding the an aperture to becovered, the improvement wherein the pull element is a tightening strapthat can be expanded by hand only with great difficulty, and wherein thepull element includes at least a one manually-operable tightening devicefor tightening the strap.
 2. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 1, whereinthe pull element includes two tightening devices for tightening thestrap.
 3. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 2, wherein a first tighteningdevice is located at a bow end of the spray cover in its attachedposition, and a second tightening device is located at a stern end ofthe spray cover.
 4. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 1, wherein thetightening device is a tensioner.
 5. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 4,wherein at least one adjusting device is inserted into the tighteningstrap to adjust the length of the tightening strap.
 6. Spray or hatchcover as in claim 5, wherein each adjusting device includes a manuallyoperable release mechanism for spontaneous extension or separation ofthe tightening strap.
 7. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 6, wherein afirst adjusting device is located at a bow end of the spray cover in itsattached position, and a second adjusting device is located at a sternend of the spray cover.
 8. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 1, whereinthe tightening device is a pump clasp with a ratcheting strap workingwith it.
 9. Spray cover as in claim 1, further comprising a releasemechanism provided on the upper side of the spray cover that is locatedin use position above the legs of the person sitting under the spraycover, and is actuated by raising the legs, and provides an openingmechanism to at least one of the tightening and adjusting devices. 10.Spray cover as in claim 9, wherein the release mechanism includes arelease band connected at both ends to the spray cover, which in useposition of the spray cover lies somewhat oblique to the legs of theperson seated under the spray cover and has practically no slack,whereby the spray cover may be stretched out oblique to its planebecause of at least one of the elasticity of the material and itsdimensions that are greater than those of the aperture of the boat. 11.Spray cover as in claim 10, further comprising a pull strap that extendsto at least one of the tightening device and adjusting device assignedto the opening mechanism and located at a stern end of the spray cover.12. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 1, further comprising an additionalrubber cord that is stretchable by hand is provided for priorpositioning of the cover on the coaming.
 13. Spray or hatch cover as inclaim 12, wherein the rubber cord is stitched to the edge of the cover.14. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 1, wherein the tightening strap isheld within a hollow cavity at the edge of the cover.
 15. Spray or hatchcover as in claim 12, wherein the rubber cord is held by the seam thatforms a hollow cavity at the edge of the cover.
 16. Spray or hatch coveras in claim 12, wherein at least one of the rubber cord and tighteningstrap is shaped as a tube in whose interior the tightening strap and therubber cord, respectively, extends.
 17. Spray or hatch cover as in claim12, wherein the rubber cord is held within a series of loops or rings atthe edge of the cover.
 18. Spray or hatch cover as in claim 1, furthercomprising a shaped piece As inserted into the spray cover in useposition between the tightening device and the coaming, and whose shapeis matched on the one side to the contour of the coaming, and on theother side to the shape of the tightening device.
 19. Spray or hatchcover as in claim 1, wherein the shape of the rear side of thetightening device matches the shape of the coaming.